Need help with my setup

FlightAware ADS-B Flight Tracking
#14

 

Run view1090-fa without stopping dump1090-fa.

(1) The most basic usage of view1090-fa is with no flags.
The view1090-fa will connect to the dump1090-fa running on the RPi, and display the decoded messages in an ASCII-text table , as shown below:

 

pi@piaware:~ $ view1090-fa  

 Hex    Mode  Sqwk  Flight   Alt    Spd  Hdg    Lat      Long   RSSI  Msgs  Ti \
qqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqq
 A258B7 S0                   36000  429  270                   -24.0     6  1
 A887FD S2    3575           36000  419  270   43.056  -78.639 -22.2    13  0
 C03CF6 S0          CFXCF     1625   95  027   43.064  -79.613 -21.0    10  1
 A51D23 S0                   29625                             -27.0     4  0
 C05185 S2    4744            3000  144  353                   -18.5    21  0
 C06CC2 S2    4757  CGPEV     1250   88  250   43.161  -79.640 -22.8    15  0
 C0193B S0    1066           34000  457  208                   -24.8     9  0
 A43100 S2                   33000  501  136   43.949  -78.541 -18.7    23  0
 C066DD S0                    1525  142  048                   -12.9     7  1
 C0104F S2    0507            8400  277  098   43.761  -79.406  -4.9    48  0

 

(2) If view1090-fa is used with flag --no-interactive :
The view1090-fa will connect to the dump1090-fa running on the RPi, but will disable interactive mode, and print messages to stdout

 

pi@piaware:~ $ view1090-fa --no-interactive 

*8d8695c658c907a785196225322c;
CRC: 000000
RSSI: -24.6 dBFS
Time: 31554732847.83us
DF:17 AA:8695C6 CA:5 ME:58C907A7851962
 Extended Squitter Airborne position (barometric altitude) (11) (reliable)
  ICAO Address:  8695C6 (Mode S / ADS-B)
  Air/Ground:    airborne
  Baro altitude: 39000 ft
  CPR type:      Airborne
  CPR odd flag:  odd
  CPR latitude:  (119746)
  CPR longitude: (72034)
  CPR decoding:  none
  NIC-B:         0
  NACp:          8
  SIL:           2 (p <= 0.001%, unknown type)

*8da258b79915c1005008a3c8b06d;
CRC: 000000
RSSI: -27.3 dBFS
Time: 31554776138.25us
DF:17 AA:A258B7 CA:5 ME:9915C1005008A3
 Extended Squitter Airborne velocity over ground, subsonic (19/1) (reliable)
  ICAO Address:  A258B7 (Mode S / ADS-B)
  Air/Ground:    airborne
  Geom - baro:   -850 ft
  Ground track   270.1
  Groundspeed:   448.0 kt
  Baro rate:     64 ft/min
  NACv:          2
#15

See my post above.
Either
Your antenna / antenna cable / connector is broken

OR
Your dongle is broken.

OR
Your Piaware SD card image got corrupted.

#16

Still having issues. I have tried a few different Pi 4s. One had the normal FA image, one had the FA image with lcd, and one had an ubuntu image and I installed the software via a How to I found from you abcd. Nothing worked.

I had ordered a second antenna a couple days ago and that just came. No fix… Regardless of what I use I am still getting that no data is being found/produced

piaware-status
PiAware master process (piaware) is running with pid 1090.
PiAware ADS-B client (faup1090) is running with pid 1106.
PiAware ADS-B UAT client (faup978) is not running (disabled by configuration settings)
PiAware mlat client (fa-mlat-client) is running with pid 1103.
Local ADS-B receiver (dump1090-fa) is running with pid 852.

dump1090-fa (pid 852) is listening for ES connections on port 30005.
faup1090 is connected to the ADS-B receiver.
piaware is connected to FlightAware.

dump1090 is NOT producing data on localhost:30005.

I have a second FlightAware ProStick Plus coming in a couple days, but in my mind I just find it hard to believe the issue is the ProStick Plus I already have that is brand new. How often are those DoA?

Is there anything else I could be missing?

#17

Very strong interference can cause zero reception on the FA pro plus.

Could also be that you’re shielding the antenna really well :slight_smile:

#18

I am in a fairly rural area, despite being near a few airports. Is there a way to confirm whether interference is an issue? I don’t believe I am shielding that antenna… for several hours today I have had the antenna on our deck with a clear view of the sky. As I mentioned before though, I am very new to this.

Even tried different power supplies. Had planes showing the flightaware site directly overhead, but my device still not picking up anything.

Although at the moment it seems like it could be the ProStick Plus, I am worried once the new one shows up I am still going to have issues…

#19

Set a fixed gain 43.9, show signal graph from graphs1090 …

What coax are you using?

#20

I have now set a fixed gain 43.9 and disabled adaptive dynamic range.

I am not sure how to show the signal graph that you mention.

The coax is this antenna, https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07HQJKMBD/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?smid=A2X7IHOFTAZ9BA&th=1
plugged right into the FA ProStick Plus.

Currently the dump1090 still says it isn’t producing any data.

#21

Check your antenna cable. Does the connector on receiver (ProStick) side have the required pin?
It’s quite easy to buy the wrong one with RP-SMA connector instead of SMA.

 

DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SMA AND RP-SMA

The SMA-male has center pin. The reverse SMA (RP-SMA) male does NOT have a center pin, it has a hole.

Difference between SMA & RP-SMA
Difference between SMA &amp; RP-SMA407×670 70.1 KB

 

TEMPORARY WORKAROUND

The SMA-female does not have center pin. The reverse SMA (RP-SMA) male also does not have a center pin, it has a hole. The center wire connection is open because of missing pin. A temporary workaround is to cut a short piece of center wire of coax and insert in hole of RP-SMA male. This piece of wire will act as the missing pin, and connection will be established.

RP-SMA Workaround

 

#22

The FA Prostick Plus is SMA Female, and the antenna I have is SMA Male, which is linked above.

#23

This makes ProStick the prime suspect.

 

#24

There is another possibility as @wiedehopf has alresdy mentioned: a strong RF interference. If very strong, it can saturate front end of ProStick and make it deaf to signals from aircraft. The source of this RF interference may be either tv / fm / cell / mobile towers nearby, or some electrical / electronic appliace withi your home. HDMI cables are notorious in radiating RF interference.

Try to relocate your portable antenna and RPi to another room and see if that makes any difference.

 

#25

Did you ever try using a paperclip as a test antenna with the feeder outside with a view of the sky, as I suggested yesterday?

#26

@cram314

Please see this thread for your situation:

dump1090 is NOT producing data on localhost:30005

Setup to test dongle:

To test, disconnect antenna from prostick, and insert a straightened paper clip in hole of SMA female of Prostick. Keep the straightened paper clip vertical. See photo below

The paper clip acts as antenna and is sufficient to receive at least few nearby plane.

20190212_010308
20190212_0103083024×4032 3.11 MB

#27

@cram314

Other reasons of misbehaviour of ProStic are power supply/voltage issue, and usb extension cable.

(1) Check if you have voltage issues with following command. Please post output of this command

sudo dmesg --ctime | grep voltage

(2) Is the dongle connected directly to the RPi or are you using an extension cable?

If you are using an extension cable, try another, or plug dongle directly into RPi.

#28

ProStick + is plugged directly into the RPi and always has been. I just inserted the paperclip to be used as an antenna. I am unable to place it outside at the moment as it is rainy here today, but is it next to a big window. Previously I had tried the setup(with antenna I mentioned earlier) in several different rooms including out on the deck when is was nice out. Currently still no data coming through with the paperclip

I ran “sudo dmesg --ctime | grep voltage” but it does not produce any output. I am hoping that means there are no voltage issues.

Is there an easy way to determine if I am getting interference from nearby towers? I also thought the point of the ProStick Plus was its embedded filter to help with interference.

#29

Yes, no output means no voltage issues.

 

In most cases internal filter is enough. However in strong RF interference areas, this may not be enough and an external filter is also required.

 

(1) Do I Need A Filter?

(2) Spektrum - How-to Speedily Scan RF Noise in band 24MHz ~ 1800MHz

 

#30

Thanks! I ran the scans. I ran one with the paperclip as an antenna and one with the antenna I have. They both look the same:
image

It looks like that through the entire spectrum. I understand there could be dense and less dense areas, but this through the entire spectrum…does that make any sense?

#31

Looks broken.
You could run one without antenna …
But yeah pretty sure it’s just toast.

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#32

I ran one without an antenna, it looks different, but again the whole spectrum is the same…
image

My new ProstickPlus should be here in a day or two so hopefully I will have better luck and return my broken one…

#33

The second stick arrived today, it works without any issues. I am requesting a replacement for the defective stick.

Thanks for all the help everyone. Although the issue ended up being the stick it certainly helped me learn alot.

Thanks all!

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